Promote Health Tourism With Malaysia's Covid-19 Success Story -- Former German Diplomat

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia did a great job in flattening the curve of the COVID-19 infection and should use this opportunity to promote health tourism to the maximum, said a former diplomat. Former German ambassador to Malaysia Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff, who retired last June, said he believes the whole Malaysian health system has passed the COVID-19 challenges with flying colours. "That comes as a surprise to those outside Malaysia. But (it) didn’t quite surprise me because I had already learned that the health system in Malaysia is very well developed. "Now, talk about it. Sell it and show the world what you have to offer here. You have well-trained doctors and nurses, well-run hospitals," he told Bernama in an interview. Lambsdorff also said that Malaysia will continue to be an attractive investment destination for German companies despite the slowdown in the economy worldwide as it offers the "whole deal". He said among the factors German companies continue their investments here for decades is due to its business-friendly nature. Lambsdorff, who experienced three different governments in his three years here, said all of them remained business-friendly, which is very important for long term foreign investors. "All Malaysian government has said that they are business-friendly, and they are. The different governments in Malaysia have always been a reliable business-friendly destination to foreign investors," he said. "You can even export from here. You can do it here and even sell it in China or anywhere else in the world. You also find workforces that are highly skilled, and you can find people who speak several languages here,” he added. Lambsdorff revealed that Malaysia is Germany's biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) recipient in Southeast Asia, mainly in manufacturing and high-technology sectors. Most of these companies are based in northern states of Penang and Kedah (in Kulim district). There are around 400 German companies based here as Malaysia is increasingly being used by German companies as a regional hub for Southeast Asia and beyond. Notable German companies with manufacturing facilities in Malaysia include Osram, Bosch Group, and B. Braun. He said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, German companies are facing issues as international borders remain closed. "For you to invest, you need experts and other people being able to travel to and from Malaysia like it used to be before COVID-19. Many of these companies can't wait to get back to this status because otherwise, they need to keep their investments on hold," he said. Lambsdorff noted that this problem is not limited to Malaysia as countries worldwide struggle to find a balance between prioritising the well-being of the population and business considerations. -- BERNAMA